Cynthia O’Connor is accompanying a youthful alien clan sister, Kaushelle, to Peace to All Species Park when war with Earth breaks out. Cynthia struggles through a crowd to drag Kaushelle to the safety — and almost makes it.

As Cynthia and Kaushelle approached the safety of the tunnel that led out of the park’s ravine, something huge screeched out of the sky onto the path ahead of them. The tail assembly of a shattered Terran bomber?

The ground shook.

Dirt flew.

Sentients screamed.

And Elder’s Parang, the park’s largest, most prized tree, planted at the park’s founding nearly four thousand years ago, splintered into the air as though it were no heavier than a wisp-hair seed. Its intricate leaves, proven to quell even the worst fevers, shriveled into foul-smelling flame.

A wave of dirt, debris, and body parts raced across the ground toward Cynthia like an avalanche of war. She tried to grab her clan-sister in a protective bear hug so they would at least meet their deaths together — but fate laughed at her puny efforts. When the wave hit, Kaushelle’s hand tore from her grasp.

Great scene, Ed. Captures the terror of war so awfully (which is a good thing!). Kudos to Effings film choice. My kitties told me quite indignantly that they are lovers, not fighters . . . unless the food bowl is in play.

The tree was actually an afterthought. When it occurred to me, I knew it was perfect in that its age and usefulness provided a sense of loss, and its history tells the readers about how old and stable this alien planet has been.

I’m glad you like that line, Teresa … but looking at it again, I wonder if “A wave.. raced across the ground” shouldn’t be “A wave … poured across the ground. (I dislike rereading my published works because I always want to edit!)

Hopefully readers will really hate what this bombing raid is doing by the time they get to the next chapter in the POV of one of the pilots, who truly is heroic and very competent. Both POVs exist in a war, the heroic and the tragic.